Planting after mulching

[Gobble4me757]

Planning on hiring a skid steer with a mulching attachment to clear out two green fields that I plan on really trying to plant well. I want to use wms seed blend with clovers and all but fear the mulch won't allow anything to grow. I plan on liming and all given the soil sample results. Anyone have any tips etc? I really want to turn these into nice green fields and all. Thanks

 

[hammer33]

The biggest issue is the roots that will remain. All those pear trees etc will try to sucker up out of those roots. Plowing or tilling will be a challenge for a couple years. It might take several years of bush hogging & spraying to kill off the remaining woody root stock. what kind of green field are you wanting? Pasture? or putting green style deer plots? Or just a good browse plot for deer?

 

[Gobble4me757]

The biggest issue is the roots that will remain. All those pear trees etc will try to sucker up out of those roots. Plowing or tilling will be a challenge for a couple years. It might take several years of bush hogging & spraying to kill off the remaining woody root stock. what kind of green field are you wanting? Pasture? or putting green style deer plots? Or just a good browse plot for deer?

This will be at my place in south bama. Planting green fields for deer. Wanting to make some clover, brassicas, oats etc. one spot will be mostly planted pines that will be mulched and the other a variety of hardwood/pine saplings etc

 

[TNTreeman]

It'll take some time but you can make it work. May take some burning as well. I've turned some solid rock areas into productive fields with wood chips but they have to be very decomposed or nothing will grow.

 

[Gobble4me757]

It'll take some time but you can make it work. May take some burning as well. I've turned some solid rock areas into productive fields with wood chips but they have to be very decomposed or nothing will grow.

How would you recommend me going about to accelerate decomposition process? Cutting mid December. Not starting to plant till next fall. Open to any ideas

 

[Boll Weevil]

For reference, it took a solid year to go from what you see in the upper left to the end product. Drain, push into piles, burn, burn, burn, winter cover crop, then summer crop. I'd recommend doing it right, not skipping any steps, and be thorough in each activity so you get the very best possible outcome. Otherwise you'll be fighting Ma'nature for years.

If you're mulching, you will likely have stump sprouts as noted above but if you spray to kill once they leaf out, might be able to burn next summer to clean everything up before fall planting. By that time the mulch will likely have rotted down a good bit. Running a disk over it will also help expose soil and incorporate the mulch to promote decomposition.

 

[megalomaniac]

If you hire a good operator who back mulches, you won't have too much trouble with stumps sprouting....

This fall, mulch, back mulch, then rake the majority of the splinters up into a pile and burn them.

Plant immediately with fall blend (be SURE you have wheat in your blend to suppress weed growth) and pull soil samples.

Lime asap

Next spring, (or fall if you aren't planting a summer crop), bushhog, then nuke 3w before fall crop planting with Remedy (to kill any woody growth or resprouts) plus roundup. repeat soil samples and add more lime if indicated.

As long as the area has some topsoil, you should have a superb plot in just a little over a year.

 

[Gobble4me757]

If you hire a good operator who back mulches, you won't have too much trouble with stumps sprouting....

This fall, mulch, back mulch, then rake the majority of the splinters up into a pile and burn them.

Plant immediately with fall blend (be SURE you have wheat in your blend to suppress weed growth) and pull soil samples.

Lime asap

Next spring, (or fall if you aren't planting a summer crop), bushhog, then nuke 3w before fall crop planting with Remedy (to kill any woody growth or resprouts) plus roundup. repeat soil samples and add more lime if indicated.

As long as the area has some topsoil, you should have a superb plot in just a little over a year.

I am 5 hours from my camp and with residency, I wont be able to really do much until this upcoming summer. I know, not ideal but If I don't get it mulched this year it may be the last unless I can use a dozier which would cost a whole lot more. I am hunting it just after the mulching though will just throw some corn out for when my buddies come hunt (Legal where I am at in bama) The guy will be mulching in late december.

 

[TNTreeman]

How would you recommend me going about to accelerate decomposition process? Cutting mid December. Not starting to plant till next fall. Open to any ideas

When you hire a forestry mulcher by the hour they usually do a better job IMO because they " process" the material more which makes it finer and they back drag the stumps deeper. Usually when they say I'll do that area for X amt of money they want to just knock it down and leave large material which takes longer to break down and don't grind the stumps below the surface. If it's processed well you're ahead of the game . Time, burning, liming and working the soil are what it takes to build up a good base for planting .

 

[Gobble4me757]

For reference, it took a solid year to go from what you see in the upper left to the end product. Drain, push into piles, burn, burn, burn, winter cover crop, then summer crop. I'd recommend doing it right, not skipping any steps, and be thorough in each activity so you get the very best possible outcome. Otherwise you'll be fighting Ma'nature for years.

If you're mulching, you will likely have stump sprouts as noted above but if you spray to kill once they leaf out, might be able to burn next summer to clean everything up before fall planting. By that time the mulch will likely have rotted down a good bit. Running a disk over it will also help expose soil and incorporate the mulch to promote decomposition.

View attachment 194158

I like this a lot...looks fantastic!

 

[megalomaniac]

When you hire a forestry mulcher by the hour they usually do a better job IMO because they " process" the material more which makes it finer and they back drag the stumps deeper. Usually when they say I'll do that area for X amt of money they want to just knock it down and leave large material which takes longer to break down and don't grind the stumps below the surface. If it's processed well you're ahead of the game . Time, burning, liming and working the soil are what it takes to build up a good base for planting .

This exactly.

The 5 acres I had reclaimed 4 years ago that was back mulched thoroughly has the best soil of any of my plots due to all the new topsoil. Back mulching a couple inches into the ground is key to prevent all the roots from resprouting. Cost me around $8000 to reclaim a total of 8 acres done right. (But it was solid 3 to 8 in trees)

 

[Gobble4me757]

When you hire a forestry mulcher by the hour they usually do a better job IMO because they " process" the material more which makes it finer and they back drag the stumps deeper. Usually when they say I'll do that area for X amt of money they want to just knock it down and leave large material which takes longer to break down and don't grind the stumps below the surface. If it's processed well you're ahead of the game . Time, burning, liming and working the soil are what it takes to build up a good base for planting .

Yep my guy is running me 200 an hour…buddies have said rent one and do it yourself but for the 2 hour round trip to rent, plus an hour loading/unloading plus me not knowing how to run one wouldn't end up near as well and not be as effective as if I hired a guy who does this for a living. I plan on using him more in the future if he does a good job.

 

[TNTreeman]

I'm looking at different farms right now and depending on what I buy I will probably buy one. I sub it out now but if I purchase I'll incorporate it into my business .

 

[redblood]

It'll take some time but you can make it work. May take some burning as well. I've turned some solid rock areas into productive fields with wood chips but they have to be very decomposed or nothing will grow.

first year, try wheat. Its cheap and easy to grow.

 

[JhnDeereMan]

I definitely agree with the disking . It will greatly speed up the decomposition process. Heavy bog disk is best.

If you have access to it 3 tons of chicken litter per acre and you will have a mighty fine crop in a year along with a couple tons of lime.

 

[Gobble4me757]

I definitely agree with the disking . It will greatly speed up the decomposition process. Heavy bog disk is best.

If you have access to it 3 tons of chicken litter per acre and you will have a mighty fine crop in a year along with a couple tons of lime.

Yeah will do with the discing…avoiding chicken litter because I want turkeys in these places